Old timers around Fisherman’s Wharf have other tales to tell about the hard work that fed their families. If the boat was becalmed, they waited long hours for a breeze, or got out the oars and rowed. Sometimes they would throw a grappling hook into the rudder chain of a passing steamer and get an easy ride home. When the steamer crews called out imprecations against these marine hitchhikers, the Italian fishermen screamed right back in words that soon became a part of waterfront.
In those earlier periods the favorite fishing spots were outside the Golden Gate, just beyond the waves breaking on the rocks and sandy beaches. It took great skill to manage the boats so they did not drift ashore and be wrecked. In terms of money, the rewards were very low. The average fisherman made $2 or $5 a week. But, on the other hand, a loaf of bread could be bought for less than five cents, and good red wine came from grapes that could be purchased for $5 a meal.
Today, as in the past, it is the fishing fleet, operated by the grandsons and great-grandsons of these past generations, which are the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf – a place of activity; the center of an marine-oriented industry beloved by native San Franciscans and visitors alike.